Improvement in bungs



O. G. SINGER. Bung.

No. 223,070. Patented Dec. 30,1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES Gr. SINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUNGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,070, dated December30, 1879 application filed August 31, 1879.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. SINGER, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bungs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of bungs for barrels made ofvulcanized india-rubber, and which are provided with a central hole forthe admission of the air-vent.

It has for its primary object to strengthen such bungs and make themmore durable, they being often made unfit for reuse by the tool employedto remove them from the empty cask or barrel to allow the same to becleaned and refilled. This removal of the bung is accomplished by meansof a rod with the end bent either at right angles or hook-shaped, whichis passed through the central hole of the bung, and the bent end caughtunder the bottom of the bung to withdraw it from the bun'ghole, whichoperation often unfits the bung for further use by the tool pressinginto the soft rubber and tearing away parts of it or breaking the loweredge of the central hole. This objectionable featureto the use of rubberbungs I obviate by combining with the bung a metal plate shaped so as tonearly cover the bottom of it, and in some cases it is made to project ashort distance in the central hole. The bent end of the withdrawing-toolcomes in contact with the plate, and so distributes the pressure of thetool over all parts of the bottom of the bung, and thus makes theremoval of it more easy, and at the same time perfectly protects it fromany damage the tool might otherwise do. The plate is provided with anysuitably-shaped anchor-projections, which secure it firmly to therubber, as the plate is placed in the vulcanizing-mold with the rubberwhen it is vulcanized. The plate is also provided with a lug on itsunder side, to

"which the stopper or cork for closing the central hole may be attachedby a link or chain, if desired.

To make plain how my invention is carried out in practice, I now referto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents aperspective view of a rubber bung with my improved protectingplateconstructed to project a short distance in the central hole. Fig. 2 is across-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the protecting-platedetached. Fig. 4: is a cross-section of a rubber bung with my improvedprotecting-plate made so as to protect the lower side of the bung only,and showing a modification of the anchor-projections.

The protecting-plate a is made of cast or malleable metal. It is a flatcircular plate a little less in diameter than the diameter of the underside of the bung, and is provided with a circular hole in its centercorresponding to the central hole through the bun g and around thishole, on the upper side of the plate, is formed the sleeve or bush I),which fits for a short distance into the hole in the bung. Lips orprojections c c extend upward from the outside edge of the plate andincline slightly toward the sleeve or bush 1), and similar projections cc extend from the top edge of the bush and incline slightly downward, asshown at Fig. 2. These lips or projections act as anchor-pieces tofirmly secure the plate a to the bung d, which is made of india-rubberor other similar or suitable material, of the ordinary shape, andvulcanized or formed in molds as commonly used for this purpose. Theplate a, being previously placed in the bottom of the mold, the softrubber or other material comes in contact with all the exposed upperpart of it, and is vulcanized or formed thereon.

Instead of the plate a being made with the sleeve or bush 1), it may beprovided simply with a central hole a little larger in diame-- ter thanthe hole through the bung, so that the plug or cork used to close thehole of the bung will not come in contact with the plate. Theanchor-projections c 0 would then be placed just at the edge of the holein the plate a and incline toward the other anchor-projections, c c.

It is evident that these anchor-projections may be madeof various forms,one other form, 6 6, being shown at Fig. 4, which is T-shaped, andplaced at about half-way between the edge of the hole and the outsideedge of the plate; or they may extend all around the plate as flanges;but I prefer to make them as lugs, as thereby the elasticity of the bungis not materially affected.

Fig. 4 also shows the plate aconstructed to protect the bottom only ofthe bung.

6 indicates the tool used to Withdraw the bung from the barrel, 850., inposition to be so used. Cast or formed in one piece with the plate onits under side is the lugf, provided with a hole for the admission, ifso desired, of a link or chain secured to the plug used to close thecentral hole of the bung, when it is required to connect said plug tothe bung,

. such connection having been heretofore made by means of a stapledriven into the bung, which is very liable to be pulled out.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In combination with the bung d, the protecting-plate a, provided withanchor-connecting projections, substantially as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth/ 2. The metal protector consisting of the platea, sleeve or bush 1), and anchor-connecting projections or flanges 0 o,in combination with the bung (Z, substantially as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

3. The protecting-plate a, constructed and combined substantially in themanner set forth, with the bung d, and provided with the lug f, as andfor the purpose hereinbefore specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of July,1879.

CHAS. Gr. SINGER.

NVitnesses':

H. D. WILLIAMS, ALFRED SHEDLooK.

